Excavating loading and carry-off earth working machine



W. CARSTON Aug. 1, 1961 EXCAVATING LOADING AND CARRY-OFF EARTH WORKING MACHINE Filed Nov. 14, 1958 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN VEN TOR.

W/IL TE 2 CflES TON W 47'7'0e/VEY$.

W. CARSTON Aug. 1, 1961 EXCAVATING LOADING AND CARRY-OFF EARTH WORKING MACHINE 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov.

I N VEN TOR.

W44 TEE @48570/1/ W. CARSTON Aug. 1, 1961 EXCAVATING LOADING AND CARRY-OFF EARTH WORKING MACHINE 6 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Nov.

INVENTOR. W44 TEE 042.5727

BY WW Aug. 1, 1961 w. CARSTON 2,994,139

EXCAVATING LOADING AND CARRY-OFF EARTH WORKING MACHINE Filed Nov. 14, 1958 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 FIG.

IN VEN TOR. [444L752 CflE ATTOENEYS.

W. CARSTON Aug. 1, 1961 EXCAVATING LOADING AND CARRY-OFF EARTH WORKING MACHINE Filed Nov. 14, 1958 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 FIG. 5'.

INVENTOR.

WALTEE Aug. 1, 1961 w. cARsToN EXCAVATING LOADING AND CARRY-OFF EARTH WORKING MACHINE 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 Filed Nov. 14, 1958 INVENT OR. 04857'0/84 FIG 11 WALTER A TTO/Q/VEYS.

United States Patent 2,994,139 EXCAVATING LOADING AND CARRY-OFF EARTH WORKING MACHINE Walter Carston, Rte. 1, Box 938, Delano, Calif. Filed Nov. 14, 1958, Ser. No. 773,923 3 Claims. (Cl. 337-126) The present invention relates to an excavating, loading and carry-0E earth working machine.

An object of the present invention is to provide an excavating, loading and carry-off earth working machine which may be drawn behind a tractor or other towing vehicle.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an excavating and loading earth working machine which is automatically loaded as the machine travels forwardly.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an excavating and loading machine which may be unloaded over a selected area of a width substantially the same as the width of the excavator without appreciable spillage of the scoop contents to the sides of the area.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide an excavating, loading and carry-0E earth working machine which completely fills the scoop in each loading operation and completely discharges the contents of the scoop in each unloading operation irrespective of ;the type of soil worked.

Yet another object of the present invention is to proivide an excavating, loading and carry-oil earth working lmachine which is highly effective in action, one having a large capacity for excavated earth, and one which is economical to fabricate and assemble.

These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will be fully apparent from the following description when taken in conjunction with the annexed drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view of the machine of the present invention, the dotted lines showing the loading position of the rotor, and the unloading position of the back wall and scoop bottom;

FIGURE 2 is a sectional view of the machine showing the scoop bottom in dotted lines in a partially raised position and in full lines in the fully raised position;

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view showing the machine in loading position;

FIGURE 4 is a top plan view;

FIGURE 5 is a rear elevational view with a portion broken away to show a part of the unloading apparatus of the machine;

FIGURE 6 is a view taken on the line 6-6 of FIG- URE 3 FIGURE 7 is a view on an enlarged scale, taken on the line 7--7 of FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 8 is a view on an enlarged scale, taken on the line 8-8 of FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 9 is a view taken on the line 99 of FIG- URE 8;

FIGURE 10 is a view taken on the line 1010 of FIGURE 8; and

FIGURE 11 is a view on an enlarged scale, taken on the line 1111 of FIGURE 2.

Referring in greater detail to the drawings in which like numerals indicate like parts, in FIGURE 1 the excavating machine of the present invention is shown having a mobile frame 10 formed of a forward section 12 and a rearward section 14. The forward section 12 is hinged to the rearward section 14 at 16 for upward movement of the forward end of the rearward section 14 in response to actuation of a hydraulic cylinder assembly 18 carried on each side of the forward section 12 and having its actuating arm pivotally connected to an upper "ice and forward end portion of the rearward section 14 of the frame 10.

A horizontally disposed scoop 20 having an open front end 22 and a pair of laterally spaced side walls 24 and 26 is carried by the rearward section 14 of the frame 10. An excavating blade 28 extends between the forward ends of the side walls 24 and 26 adjacent the lower ends of the side walls 24 and 26 and is fixedly carried by the side walls 24 and 26.

The scoop 20 has a horizontally disposed bottom 30 normally positioned between the side walls 24 and 26 with one end contiguous to the blade 28, such end being forwardly and designated by the numeral 32. The rearward end 34 of the bottom 30 is inwardly of and adjacent the rearward ends of the side walls 24 and 26 of the scoop 20.

Means is provided connecting the one end 32 of the bottom 30 to the scoop side walls 24 and 26 for movement of the bottom 30 about a horizontal axis from the horizontal position shown in FIGURES 1 and 3 to a position in which the bottom 30 bridges the open front end 22 of the scoop 20 with the rearward end 34 of the bottom 30 spaced above the excavating blade 28. This means consists in a horizontally disposed pin having portions adjacent its ends supported in the scoop side walls 24 and 26, as shown in FIGURE 8, with reference to the one side wall 26. The pin 36 extends from one side wall 24 to the other side wall 26 through hinge formations in the forward end 32 of the bottom 30 and in the rearward end edge of the blade 28, the bottom forward end 32 and the blade 28 having complementally arranged rolled over and spaced portions as in a hinge and as shown most clearly in FIGURE 4.

An end gate 38 is positioned within the side Walls 24 and 26 and normally bridges the rearward ends of the side walls 24 and 26, The gate 38 has one end 40 behind and adjacent the end 34 of the bottom 30 and has its other end 42 spaced above and rearwardly of the end 34 of the bottom 30.

Means is provided connecting the end 40 of the gate 38 to the side walls 24 and 26 for movement of the gate 38 about a horizontal axis from the bridging position to a position in which the gate 38 leans forwardly toward the front end 22 of the scoop 20 with the upper end 42 forwardly of and spaced above the lower end 40 of the gate 38. Specifically, this means consists in a pin 44 extending through each of the side walls 24 and 26 inwardly of and adjacent the rearward ends of the latter and each pin 44 having its inner end portion fixedly secured to the lower end 40 of the gate 38, as shown in FIGURES 3 and 4.

A loader unit 46 is positioned transversely of the scoop 20 adjacent to and forwardly of the blade 28. The loader unit 46 includes a pair of pusher elements or upstanding pusher blades 48 arranged in superimposed spaced relation and movable with respect to the scoop 20 into and out of the portion of the scoop 20 adjacent the blade 28. The loader unit 46 is connected to the frame 10 for movement from the position adjacent to and forwardly of the blade 28 to a position away from and spaced from the open front end 22 of the scoop 20. The position adjacent to and forwardly of the blade 28 is shown in FIGURE 3 and the position away from the blade 28 is shown in FIGURE 2.

Means is provided connecting the end gate 38 to the loader unit 46 so that movement of the gate 38 from the normal bridging position to the position in which the end gate leans forwardly toward the front end of the scoop 20 is responsive to execution of movement of the loader unit 46 from the position adjacent and forwardly of the excavating blade 28 to the position away from the open end 22 of the scoop 2.0. This means consists in a pair of laterally spaced rigid link members 50, each having one end connected to the loader unit 46 for movement with the latter and having the other end pivotally connected to the upper end of an arm 52 which is exteriorly of the scoop 20 on each side of the latter, the lower end of each arm 52 being pivotally connected to the scoop 20 by the adjacent pin 44.

A hydraulic cylinder assembly 54, on each side of the scoop 20, is operatively connected to the loader unit 46 and to the scoop 20 for effecting the movement of the loader unit 46 from the position adjacent the blade 28 to the position away from the blade 28.

As shown in FIGURE 3, the side wall 26 of the scoop 20 is provided with an arcuate slot 56 through which extends a bar 58 (FIGURE 4) secured to the back wall of the end gate 38. A base member 59 extends diagonally down the rear face of the end gate 38 adjacent the end of the bar 58. The other side wall 24 is provided with a similar slot 56 and another bar 58 is operatively connected to the adjacent arm 52 and to the adjacent portion of the end gate 38.

Means is provided for effecting the movement of the scoop bottom 30 from the substantially horizontal position shown in FIGURE 3 to the raised position shown in FIGURE 2. This means consists in a cable 60 having one end secured in an eye formation 62 on the underside of the bottom 30 adjacent the rearward end 34. The cable intermediate portion travels over a rotatable pulley 64 carried by the free end of the actuating arm 66 of a hydraulic cylinder assembly 68. The hydraulic cylinder of the assembly 68 has its one end anchored on a pivot pin 70 extending between webs 72 which project in lateral spaced relation from the rearward face of the end gate 38 centrally of the latter. A transversely arranged plate 74 is positioned adjacent the end of the cylinder of the hydraulic cylinder assembly 68 remote from the pivot pin 70. A hole in the plate 74 permits the extension and retraction of the actuating arm 66. A portion of the plate 74 above the edges of the webs 72 is provided with an aperture through which travels the intermediate part of the cable 60. This portion is designated by the reference numeral 76 and forms an abutment for the eye formation 78 on one end of a rod 80 which is slidably mounted within a casing 82. A coil spring 84 is positioned within the casing 82 in circumposed relation with respect to the rod 80 and has one end bearing against a washer 86 carried on the end of the rod 80 remote from the eye formation 78. The other end of the spring 84 bears against the end of the casing 82 adjacent the eye formation 78. The other end of the casing 82 is pivotally connected to a horizontally arranged pin 88 which has portions adjacent its ends slidably movable in slots 90 provided in one leg of a pair of angle iron members 92 and 94 which extend upwardly from the rear axle 96 and terminate at a cross beam 98 extending between'the sides of the scoop 20, as shown in FIGURES 2 and 4.

The blades 48 of the loader unit 46 are movable simultaneously along an orbital path about a horizontal axis transversely disposed with respect to the scoop 20. The means for effecting this movement includes a power shaft 100 (FIGURE 2) adapted for attachment to the drive shaft of a prime mover or the power take-off of the towing vehicle. One end of the power shaft 100 extends into a gear case 102 which is arranged in superimposed spaced relation above a cylindrical transversely arranged support beam 104. Driven shafts 106 extend out of each side of the gear case 102 and carry on their free ends sprocket wheels 108. The shaft 106 is in several sections with flexible coupling elements 110 connecting the shaft sections together so that movement of the shafts 106 from the end to end aligned position as in FIGURE 3 to the angularly displaced position shown in FIGURE 2 is permitted. Such construction is conventional and not described in detail for reasons of simplicity. Depending from each end of the beam 104 are swingably mou'nted legs 112 (FIGURE 6) and which support a pair of lat- 4 X era'lly spaced plate members 114 and 116, each of hollow construction and each supporting therein a disc 118 and 120, respectively, with each disc 118 having a toothed periphery as in FIGURE 3.

A horizontally disposed shaft 122 connects the discs 118 and together and the blades 48 are mounted upon other shafts 124 which have their ends journaled in the discs 118 and 120, the shafts 124 being parallel to the shaft 122 and diametrically arranged with respect to each other.

A chain 126 connects each sprocket wheel 108 with another sprocket wheel 128 positioned exteriorly of each of the plate members 114 and 116 and carried on a stub shaft 130 which is journaled in the adjacent leg 112.

Each stub shaft 130 extends into the adjacent plate mem-: her 114 or 116, as shown in FIGURE 7 with reference:

to the plate member 114 and carries on its inner end a drive gear 132 which is in mesh with the toothed pe riphery of the adjacent disc 118 or 120.

An arm 134 has one end fixedly secured to the endportion of each shaft 124 and the other end mounted, on

a roller 136 (FIGURE 9) which is free to roll back-:

wardly and forwardly along a trackway provided between adjacent flanges of channel members 138 and 140 which i in dotted lines in FIGURE 1 and one of the blades 48 is shown in two positions of movement in an orbit with respect to the disc 118. It will be seen that the arms 134 maintain the respective blades 48 in positions facing the load of earth as it is excavated by the blade 28. The

movement of the blades 48 serves to pack the dirt into i the scoop 20 responsive to rotary movement of the discs 118 and 120 when driven by the power shaft 100 and associated sprocket wheels 108 and 128, together with the drive chain 126.

A plate 142 projects rearwardly from each of the plate members 114 and 116 and is movable into and out of l the scoop 20 responsive to movement of the loader unit 3 46 toward and away from the excavating blade 28. The

plates 142 (FIGURE 11) are arranged in overlapping relation with respect to the adjacent edges of the side walls 24 and 26 and serve to close the sides of the scoop open front end 22 so that dirt as it is being unloaded does not spill to the sides of the scoop 20 to any appreciable extent. The plates 142 also abut against the scoop bottom 30 if the scoop bottom 30 reaches an overcenter or forwardly leaning position after unloading of the scoop 20. Upon abutting of the bottom 30, the plates 142 force it to the position off of dead center so that it will fall to the bottom of the scoop for reloading of the latter.

In operation, with reference to FIGURE 2, after load ing of the scoop 20 in the conventional manner and transport of the loaded scoop to the place of discharge of its contents, the hydraulic cylinder assemblies 54 on each side of the scoop are actuated to shift the loader unit 46 to the position away from the blade 28. This movement is accompanied by shifting of the end gate 38 from its normal position sloping rearwardly, as shown in FIGURE 3 to a position forwardly of such rearward position and simultaneously the spring casing 82 is shifted to the limit of the forward movement of the pin 88 in the slots 90, whereupon the actuating arms of the hydraulic cylinder assemblies 54 will have been moved only two-thirds of their travel and the eye formation 78 will be in abutting engagement with the anchor portion 76 of the plate 74. Since the load on the scoop bottom 30 is greater than the load on the hydraulic cylinder assemblies 54, the arms of the assemblies 54 will continue their remaining one-third of travel, and during this multiple of travel the actuating arm 66 of the hydraulic cylinder assembly 68 does not move but the spring 84 is compressed to the position shown in dotted lines in FIGURE 2 At the completion of the final one-third travel of the arms of the assemblies 54, the hydraulic cylinder assembly 68 Is actuated to extend the arm 66 to the position shown in FIGURE 2, resulting in the application of a pulling force to the cable 60 to effect the shifting of the scoop bottom 30 from the full line position shown in FIGURE 3 to the dotted line position shown in FIGURE 2. At the dotted line position of FIGURE 2, the scoop will be nearly unloaded and the compression forces in the spring 84 will be stronger than the remaining load on the scoop bottom 30 and the spring is released and will expand to its normal condition, as shown in FIGURE 3, resulting in pulling the cable 60 over the pulley 64 and shifting of the scoop bottom 30 to the full line position of FIG- URE 2.

The hydraulic fluid fiow to the hydraulic cylinder assemblies 54 and 68 is now reversed and the loader unit 46 is returned to its position adjacent the excavating blade 28 for further excavating operations. As the accuating arm 66 of the hydraulic cylinder assembly 68 returns to its position within the cylinder of the assembly and the loader unit 46 returns to its position adjacent the blade 28, the spring casing 82 will return to the lower position with the pin 88 at the rearward end of the slots 90.

The hydraulic cylinder assemblies 18 serve to raise the forward end of the rearward section 14 of the frame 10. Conventional excavator wheels and tires 144 support the forward end of the frame and the rearward end of the frame 10 and the connection of the frame 10 to the towing vehicle is conventional and not here de- {scribed as not being a part of the present invention.

Cross beams 146 extend between the inner faces of the plate members 114 and 116 and serve to provide rigidity to the loader unit 46.

What is claimed is:

1. In an excavating machine, a mobile frame, a horizontally disposed scoop having an open front end and including a pair of laterally spaced side walls, each of said side walls having a forward end and a rearward end, an excavating blade extending between the forward ends of said side walls adjacent the lower ends thereof, a substantially horizontally disposed bottom normally positioned between said walls and having one end contiguous to said blade and having the other end adjacent the rearward ends of said side walls, means connecting said one end of said bottom to said side walls for movement of said bottom about a horizontal axis from the horizontal position to a position in which said bottom bridges the open front end of said scoop with the other end spaced above said blade, an end gate positioned within said side walls and normally bridging the rearward ends of said side walls and having one end behind and adjacent the other end of said bottom and having the other end spaced above and rearwardly of the other end of said bottom, means connecting said one end of said gate to said side walls for movement about another horizontal axis from the bridging position to a position in whichsaid end gate leans forwardly toward the front end of said scoop with the other end spaced above and forwardly of said one end of said gate, a loader unit positioned transversely of said scoop and adjacent to and forwardly of said excavation blade and having a plurality of upstanding pusher elements arranged in superimposed spaced relation and movable simultaneously along an orbital path about a horizontal axis transverse with respect to said scoop into and out of the portion of said scoop adjacent said excavating blade, said unit being connected to said frame for movement from the position adjacent to and forwardly of said excavating blade to a position away from the open end of said scoop,

and means Connecting said gate to said loader unit so that movement of said gate from the normal bridging position to the position in which said end gate leans for wardly toward the front end of said scoop is responsive to execution of the movement of said loader unit from the position adjacent to and forwardly of said excavating blade to the position away from the open end of said scoop.

2. In an excavating machine, a mobile frame, a horizontally disposed scoop having an open front end and including a pair of laterally spaced side walls, each of said side walls having a forward end and a rearward end, an excavating blade extending between the forward ends of said side walls adjacent the lower ends thereof, a substantially horizontally disposed bottom normally positioned between said walls and having one end contiguous to said blade and having the other end adjacent the rearward ends of said side walls, means connecting said one end of said bottom to said side walls for movement of said bottom from the horizontal position to a position in which said bottom bridges the open front end of said scoop with the other end spaced above said blade, an end gate positioned within said side walls and normally bridging the rearward ends of said side walls and having one end behind and adjacent the other end of said bottom and having the other end spaced above and rearwardly of the other end of said bottom, a loader unit including a pair of upstanding pusher blades arranged in superimposed spaced relation positioned transversely of said scoop and adjacent to and forwardly of said excavation blade, said pusher blades being movable simultaneously along an orbital path about a horizontal axis transverse with respect to said scoop into and out of the portion of said scoop adjacent said excavating blade, said unit being connected to said frame for movement from the position adjacent to and forwardly of said excavating blade to a position away from the open end of said scoop, and means connecting said gate to said loader unit so that the movement of said gate from the normal bridging position to the position in which said end gate leans forwardly toward the front end of said scoop is responsive to execution of the movement of said loader unit from the position adjacent to and forwardly of said excavating blade to the position away from the open end of said scoop.

3. In an excavating machine, a mobile frame, a horizontally disposed scoop having an open front end and including a pair of laterally spaced side walls, each of said side walls having a. forward end and a rearward end, an excavating blade extending between the forward ends of said side walls adjacent the lower ends thereof, a substantially horizontally disposed bottom normally positioned between said walls and having one end contiguous to said blade and having the other end adjacent the rearward ends of said side walls, means connecting said one end of said bottom to said side walls for movement of said bottom from the horizontal position to a position in which said bottom bridges the open front end of said scoop with the other end spaced above said blade, an end gate positioned within said side walls and normally bridging the rearward ends of said side walls and having one end behind and adjacent the other end of said bottom and having the other end spaced above and rearwardly of the other end of said bottom, a loader unit positioned transversely of said scoop and adjacent to and forwardly of said excavation blade and having pusher elements movable with respect to said scoop into and out of the portion of said scoop adjacent said excavating blade, said unit being connected to said frame for movement from the position adjacent to and forwardly of said excavating blade to a position away from the open end of said scoop, and means connecting said gate to said loader unit so that movement of said gate from the normal bridging position to the position in which said end gate leans forwardly toward the front end of said scoop in responsive to execution of the movement of said loader unit from the position adjacent to and forwardly of said excavating blade to the position away from the open end of said scoop, said last-mentioned means including -a pair of laterally spaced rigid link members, and having one of the complemental ends connected to said loader unit for movement with the latter and having the other of the complemental ends pivotally connected to said gate.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Daniels Sept. 21, 1943 Austin et a1. Oct. 26, 1943 Bartsch Feb. 26, 1952 Robb May 25, 1954 Carston' July 29, 1958 Gurries Oct. 7, 1958 Clark Apr. 5, 1960 

